Familiar Strangers (A Twilight Fanfic)

Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

                                                                                     

The next couple of days was spent at Gabriel's trying to prepare myself to go back to my dad's. Gabriel discussed with me that I had to do this in order to heal and I knew he was right. When the time came to go, Gabriel offered his help which I accepted. I was almost certain that going alone would only allow me to walk away before ever reaching the front door. Gabriel and I spent the majority of the time getting to know one another as I tried my best to build my confidence up for the visit.

Gabriel was able to conquer the newborn years with his Witch spells, but that didn't stop the intense burn in his throat. He believed he was more vampire than anything at the beginning so he never thought about human food. It was when he was at his weakest point that he found that knowledge.

****Gabriel****

It never dawned on me that the smell of human food would be enhanced after I changed. I accepted my infernal fate for that of human blood, but I tried everything I could not to attack anyone. Finally I used a spell in the hopes that I still had that part of me. When realizing that it had worked I was amazed that I was lucky enough to have that good fortune intact. It stopped any future attacks, but it also made me weak with the need to feed off of something.

One night as I roamed the streets of London, I walked by a delightful smell that encouraged me to follow it's direction. I couldn't believe how much my palate desired the taste of fresh baked bread. The impossibility was plausible but when in dire need of some kind of food supply. I had no other choice but to weigh the outcome. I bought a fresh loaf and walked to the end of a bridge; ripped a piece off and ate it. Time went by as I stood waiting for it to regurgitate as it would any normal vampire. That never came to pass. Instead, the burn in my throat lessened but not entirely so. In time, the human food weakened the burn to a comfortable level. From then on I supplemented my diet with human food. I can go for long periods before having no other choice but to consume blood.

The natural Witch inside him had been fighting all this time to reduce the vampire side. Gabriel was literally fighting a demon.

****

After we talked a bit more, it was time for me to go to my dad's. When we arrived it didn't take long before we realized that I had company coming. Company that wasn't welcome there. Edward. Gabriel knew he was on his way. He had ways of keeping track of people.

“Bella, I can make him go away if that's what you want.” he spoke so delicately that I almost said yes without a thought, but there would be more confrontations between Edward and I so there was no point in prolonging the inevitable.

“Gabriel, I was not finished with the Cullen's the other day. There is so much that needs to be said. I have to...talk him.” Gabriel's shoulders slightly faltered when I said that and it bothered me so I began to say, but was interrupted by Gabriel...

“Bella, I can understand if you choose to give Edward another try. I will not put you in a position that you have to make a choice. If you want me to go, I will. I will accept that you cannot let him go.”

Now my shoulders slumped. Why would he think that I wanted Edward back after what he did to me? Gabriel was giving me an option, but I couldn't envision why he would. Something changed in me when he spoke those words. I couldn't imagine why, but all of a sudden, having a choice mattered. Even though I knew I would not allow Edward back into my life as he was before. Could I forgive him enough to have him as a friend? Could we be friends? Most importantly, could I become...just...friends with him? That was it. I knew then what I needed to try and accomplish out of this mess.